European Mistletoe

European Mistletoe or Viscum Album has been used as a medicine since the time of Hypocrates for neurological conditions, disorders of the heart and circulatory disorders, arthritis and even neurological disorders like epilepsy.  At the turn of the 20th century Mistletoe was postulated to have anticancer effects by anthroposophy creator Rudolf Steiner.  In 1916 a preparation made from mistletoe was tested in cancer patients successfully and since then tens of millions of doses have been administered to patients across Europe.  It has become the most commonly used natural cancer therapy in Europe and has been validated by hundreds of clinical trials.  European mistletoe is a safe non-toxic therapy.  At this time we aware of several mechanisms of action for mistletoe:

1. Direct Cytotoxic (cancer cell killing) Effect – several components (most notably mistletoe lectins) have strong effect on cancer cells.  These components have been shown to cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.
2.  Inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis – several animal and human studies have shown an improvement in overall survival and reduced disease progression in individuals receiving mistletoe treatment.
3. Strong Immunostimulant – almost all studied components of mistletoe have strong immune stimulating effects well beyond that of other botanicals.
4. Selective Cytoprotection – components of mistletoe have been shown to protect the DNA of healthy immune cells.  It is believed that this is why patients taking mistletoe alongside standard chemotherapy have fewer side effects and a generally better quality of life.
5. Strong Neuro-Endocrine Support – patients receiving treatment with European mistletoe were shown to have improved quality of life in several studies.  This translated to improved energy, sleep, appetite and reduced pain.